Tag: car

Car thieves still love Honda according to LoJack annual report

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Technology

Honda Accord top stolen car of 2010

LoJack says the Honda Accord was the most stolen vehicle of 2010 – Click above for high-res image gallery

lojack logo Theft prevention and recovery company LoJack knows a lot about stolen vehicles. It also knows a lot about getting those vehicles back. In 2010, the company says that fully 90 percent of vehicles equipped with its car tracking hardware was recovered.

LoJack has been at this game for a while, and last year, it started to release its own Vehicle Theft Recovery Report. The second annual report is hot off the LoJack presses and the data is … not surprising, if you own a Honda.

In 2010, the most stolen and recovered vehicles were: (last years rank in parenthesis)

10. Chevrolet Tahoe (7)
9. Nissan Maxima (New)
8. Nissan Altima (8)
7. Dodge Ram (New)
6. Toyota Corolla (6)
5. Cadillac Escalade (5)
4. Acura Integra (4)
3. Toyota Camry (3)
2. Honda Civic (1)
1. Honda Accord (2)

LoJack also breaks down its stolen and recovered information by year, make and model. Honda claims all five top positions for 2010. There’s more interesting data in LoJack’s 2nd Annual Vehicle Theft Recovery Report. You can read all about it by hot-wiring your mouse and clicking past the jump.

Gallery: Lojack’s Top Ten Most Stolen Vehicles of 2010

Honda AccordHonda CivicToyota CamryAcura IntegraCadillac Escalade Platinum

[Source: LoJack]

Continue reading Car thieves still love Honda according to LoJack annual report

Car thieves still love Honda according to LoJack annual report originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Car thieves still love Honda according to LoJack annual report”

Dodge Viper ACR breaks Miller Motorsports Park production car lap record [w/video]

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Dodge

Dodge Viper ACR at Miller Motorsports Park

Dodge Viper ACR at Miller Motorsports Park – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Dodge Viper ACR is no longer in production, but it remains one of the most impressive sports cars ever built as evidenced by a recent trip to Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. Dodge Motorsports brought a 2010 Viper ACR to the track along with road racer Kuno Wittmer, and the result was a record-smashing lap time of 1:59.995 – nearly four seconds faster than the previous record of 2:03.86 held by a Corvette ZR1 driven by Jan Magnussen.

This isn’t the first time the Viper ACR has broken a track record for a production car. In 2008, Dutch driver Tom Coronel piloted a Viper ACR to a record 7:22.1 lap time around the Nürburgring, and one year later, an SRT vehicle dynamics engineer broke the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca lap record with a time of 1:33.92.

You can read more about the Dodge Viper ACR’s lap record at Miller Motorsports Park as well as watch video footage of the car on track after the jump.

Gallery: Dodge Viper ACR at Miller Motorsports Park

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading Dodge Viper ACR breaks Miller Motorsports Park production car lap record [w/video]

Dodge Viper ACR breaks Miller Motorsports Park production car lap record [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Apr 2011 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Dodge Viper ACR breaks Miller Motorsports Park production car lap record [w/video]”

Mopar Avenger Rally Car: More power, less pork… and not for production [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, Videos, Chrysler, Dodge

Mopar Avenger Rally Car

Mopar Avenger Rally Car – Click above for high-res image gallery

When we think of rally cars, the Subaru Impreza and Ford Focus immediately come to mind. At no point does the Dodge Avenger enter our thoughts, but that didn’t stop Team Pentastar from building its own dirt-ready rally sedan.

Chrysler wanted to celebrate a new business partnership with Fiat subsidiary Magneti Marelli by building a collaborative vehicle that combines the talents of the Italian components maker and Chrysler’s iconic Mopar team. The result is an Avenger that can handle more than America’s urban jungle.

Magneti Marelli and Mopar spent a few weeks modifying a stock Avenger Heat with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 underhood. The Avenger chassis remains intact, but a Magneti Marelli suspension was added for improved handling, lowering the Avenger by 1.5 inches. Brakes were upgraded to include 14.25-inch front rotors and 13.5-inch rear rotors, and a rear brake rally package with a hand-operated brake was included.

Continue Reading: Mopar Avenger Rally Car: More Power, Less Pork…

Gallery: Mopar Avenger Rally Car

Photos copyright 2011 Chris Shunk/AOL

Continue reading Mopar Avenger Rally Car: More power, less pork… and not for production [w/video]

Mopar Avenger Rally Car: More power, less pork… and not for production [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Mopar Avenger Rally Car: More power, less pork… and not for production [w/video]”

Drivers wanted: Repairacar offers car nut’s dream job

Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Europe, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Specialty, Luxury

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport – Click above for high-res image gallery

For most of us, the opportunity to drive a rotating assemblage of the world’s finest cars, from the Ferrari 458 Italia to the Bugatti Veyron to the Bentley Mulsanne, is an unattainable dream. For one person, though, the dream could become a job. British repair shop Repairacar is looking for a responsible person to pick up and return customers’ supercars from all over Europe.

The job entails taking public transportation to the customer’s house, picking up their car, driving it to Repairacar for whatever service or fix it needs, and driving it back to the owner once repairs have been made. According to Repairacar, assignments could come from every corner of Europe, necessitating spending a lot of time on public transportation. The reward, though, should make the bus or train ride well worth it.

Because of the high-liability nature of the job, Repairacar is being very particular about whom it will hire. Ten years’ experience with high-performance driving is a requirement of the job, and showing up for your interview in a Civic with a fart pipe will likely get you automatically disqualified. Repairacar says the pay is around $50,000 a year, plus expenses for travel. Applications close at the end of April.

Gallery: First Drive: Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport

Photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Repairacar via Carscoop]

Drivers wanted: Repairacar offers car nut’s dream job originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Drivers wanted: Repairacar offers car nut’s dream job”

Bertone hits Shanghai, says museum car auction may not happen after all

Filed under: Concept Cars, China, Europe, Earnings/Financials, Shanghai Motor Show

Bertone emblem

Our friends at legendary Italian design house Bertone had a small group of us over to its headquarters in Caprie just to the west of Turin in order to shed greater light on what the company’s current situation actually is. In brief, from the mouth of CEO Marco Filippa, contrary to reports that recent Fiat rumblings have put Bertone on the skids, the company is instead thriving in its own humble manner… sort of.

First sign of thrive-ery is the unveiling of three Bertone-executed showcar concepts at the upcoming Shanghai Motor Show, two of which are strictly for Chinese clients and a third being of potential global significance for General Motors’ joint partner SAIC, known also as Shanghai GM. Bertone’s holding company and Stile Bertone have signed up four of the top five Chinese brands for 2011 projects, along with a project with what some insiders say is BMW, and one more with the newly incorporated Fiat Industrial.

Awkward news reports insinuating that Fiat’s pause in investing in the manufacturing facility it bought from Bertone in late 2009 – and the announcement of six Bertone museum pieces being put up for sale by RM Auctions at the upcoming Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este – had many people concluding that Bertone was desperate for cash. “Not the case at all,” CEO Filippa has assured us.

Continue reading Bertone hits Shanghai, says museum car auction may not happen after all

Continue reading Bertone hits Shanghai, says museum car auction may not happen after all

Bertone hits Shanghai, says museum car auction may not happen after all originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Bertone hits Shanghai, says museum car auction may not happen after all”

Report: ‘Car Czar’ post nixed as part of federal budget deal

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Earnings/Financials

Ron Bloom

Last week, the government avoided a costly shutdown by cutting $38 billion from the 2012 federal budget. The American people are just now hearing what those cuts consist of, and it appears the auto industry and industry regulation have been affected.

The Detroit News is reporting that the currently vacant Car Czar posts was among the positions that didn’t make the cut. The post was last held by Ron Bloom (above), Senior Adviser to the Secretary of the Treasury, who left the job in February. The Car Czar was originally appointed to oversee the government’s investment in the industry in the wake of the bankruptcies of General Motors and Chrysler.

We’re guessing the task force position won’t be missed much by the auto industry, but a $408 million cut from a $ 2.3 billion program to research fuel efficiency technology might be. Also getting the axe? A whopping $2.9 billion from light rail initiatives and $37 million from a program that advocates seatbelt usage.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Report: ‘Car Czar’ post nixed as part of federal budget deal originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Report: ‘Car Czar’ post nixed as part of federal budget deal”

Ward’s Automotive picks best car interiors of 2011

Filed under: Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Jeep, Toyota, Volvo

Audi A8 interior

Wards Automotive 10 Best Interiors of 2011 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Wards Automotive takes its 10 Best Interior awards seriously. The industry mag tested 51 vehicles to come up with this year’s winners, which span three luxury vehicles, three economy cars, a sport sedan, a minivan, a family sedan and an SUV. Ward’s AutoWorld Editor-in-Chief Drew Winter says the publication has never tested so many vehicles, adding, “Every auto maker wants the freshest, highest-quality interior possible for all the vehicles they sell.”

Showing just how much the world of interiors has changed over the years, Chrysler was the only automaker to take home two awards, thanks to the Dodge Charger and Jeep Grand Cherokee, while Kia and Hyundai could technically say the same since the Elantra and Optima each took home honors. At the same time, both Toyota and Lexus were shut out, as was Honda’s Acura luxury brand and Mercedes-Benz.

Among the first-time winners for 2011 are the Ford Focus Titanium and Chevy Cruze. Click on the image above to browse through all 10 winners, or you can head over to Wards Automotive for the complete scoop.

What do you think – Did Wards get it right? If not, what was left out and what should it replace?

Gallery: Wards 2011 10 Best Interiors

2011 Audi A82011 Audi A8BMW X3BMW X32011 Chevy Cruze 2LT

[Source: Wards Automotive]

Ward’s Automotive picks best car interiors of 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Ward’s Automotive picks best car interiors of 2011″

eBay Find of the Day: 1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans rally car tribute [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Porsche, Off-Road, Racing

1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans tribute car

1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans tribute – Click above for high-res image gallery

This 1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans tribute is the second such 953 rally car homage to come from this seller in less than a year. Last year, he reportedly sold a 1980 Porsche 911 Rothmans to the folks at GoPro for north of $70k. That car was nice, but was only two-wheel drive.

This year, he decided to go all out, and took a perfectly-maintained 1989 Porsche 911 C4 and turned it into a near-perfect representation of the 1984 Paris-Dakar-winning 953. Check out the listing on eBay Motors, where the car has yet to meet its reserve. Using a C4 as the base car means this tribute carries an all-Porsche all-wheel drive system, making this year’s car even more desirable than last year’s.

Best of all, the car looks the part, but retains its street legality and some crucial creature comforts to make it a useful means of transportation as well as a suitable weekend warrior. According to the eBay listing, the car retains ABS, cruise control, climate control, a sunroof, power locks, power mirrors, power windows, and a differential lock. See the car in action after the jump. Top tip, Chris M!

Gallery: 1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans tribute

1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans tribute1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans tribute1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans tribute1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans tribute1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans tribute

[Source: eBay Motors via BringATrailer | Images: Jeremy Cliff/ThePhotoMotive]

Continue reading eBay Find of the Day: 1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans rally car tribute [w/video]

eBay Find of the Day: 1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans rally car tribute [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “eBay Find of the Day: 1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans rally car tribute [w/video]”

Infiniti goes rallying in Spain with G37 safety car

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Europe, Infiniti, Racing

Infiniti G37 Coupe S safety car

Infiniti G37 Coupe S safety car – Click above for high-res image gallery

Infiniti is no stranger to motorsports. The Japanese luxury marque supplied engines to the Indy Racing League in the late 90s, and recently launched a sponsorship deal with the World Champion Red Bull Racing team in Formula One (which runs sister-company Renault’s engines). But rallying is new territory for the Nissan premium division.

Now before you let your imagination run wild, bear in mind that the G37 coupe you see here is not actually competing in any rally events. It is, however, being used as a safety car for the Spanish Rally Championship.

For the task, the G37 Coupe S dubbed “Work Car Zero” has been outfitted with roll-bar, dampers, brakes, bucket seats and harnesses, fire-suppression system, communications equipment and special lighting. Otherwise, it’s pretty much bone stock (save for the garish paint scheme).

Follow the jump for all the details in the press release and scope out the images in the high-res gallery below for a closer look.

Gallery: Infiniti G37 Coupe S safety car

[Source: Infiniti]

Continue reading Infiniti goes rallying in Spain with G37 safety car

Infiniti goes rallying in Spain with G37 safety car originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Infiniti goes rallying in Spain with G37 safety car”

PSA: Want to avoid the flu? Buy an old car

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Australia

rusty old car with patina

We know the scientists of the world spend an awful lot of time making our lives better, but the guys and gals in white coats sometimes study topics that aren’t all that exciting. Case in point? The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand announced at their annual meeting that owners of newer vehicles are more likely to catch the flu than those with old beaters.

The reason? Older vehicles have dried out, cracked and broken seals that help circulate fresh air through the cabin. Meanwhile, newer vehicles, with their fresh and uncompromised seals, let in less fresh air when air circulation is set to lower levels. As a result, the owners of the newer vehicles are more likely to catch cold or flu from a sick passenger inside the vehicle.

Dr. Scott Bell, Director of Thoracic Medicine at the Prince Charles Hospital, wants drivers to know that “high risk people should be cautious of who they travel with in passenger cars during outbreaks of influenza.”

That makes sense, but what if you’re in a beat-up old jalopy? We’re guessing you shouldn’t have sick passengers in old cars, either, but what do we know? Dr. Bell says you’re at least less susceptible to illness if you crank the air on high and thumb off the recirculating air button.

[Source: Drive | Image: Flickr KB35 via CC 2.0]

PSA: Want to avoid the flu? Buy an old car originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “PSA: Want to avoid the flu? Buy an old car”